Topic: iPod touch

Apple's new iPod touch -- which packs the same A8 chip found in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus -- is an exceptionally compelling product, and one that could force prospective iPad mini buyers to think twice about their decision. AppleInsider compares and contrasts Apple's best iPod and smallest iPad.

A teardown of the sixth-generation iPod touch published on Friday exposed new details about the device, including the presence of a marginally bigger battery, the lack of a sapphire lens cover, and which chipmakers are involved in supplying parts.

In a world of iPhones and iPads, iPods nevertheless continue to have a place at Apple, and Wednesday's update of the iPod touch -- plus new colors for the Nano and Shuffle -- raise the question of which iPod, if any, a person should buy.

Wednesday's iPod touch release marked a number of firsts for Apple, including two major modifications to existing technologies in an underclocked A8 system-on-chip silicon and a communications package boasting the Bluetooth 4.1 Core Specification.

Apple surprised on Wednesday by including its latest-generation A8 processor in the latest iPod touch -- a decision that makes it a formidable and highly affordable opponent to the company's mid-range iPhone 5s.

All three devices in Apple's existing iPod lineup -- the iPod nano, shuffle and touch -- gained three new color options on Wednesday. And while the iPod touch's internal components were overhauled, the iPod nano and shuffle specifications remain unchanged.

Apple on Wednesday overhauled its iPod touch lineup for the first time in years, debuting a new high-end $399 model with a 128-gigabyte capacity, while giving all versions a 64-bit A8 processor, M8 motion coprocessor, and 8-megapixel rear camera.

Shipping times for some iPod models -- mostly for the iPod touch -- have lengthened at Apple's U.S. online store ahead of an anticipated refresh on Tuesday, during which Apple is expected to add new colors and upgrade the Touch's internals.

Apple is expected to launch an updated iPod touch next week, a refresh that is likely to bring new colors and updated internals that reportedly include a move to a more recent 64-bit A-series application processor.

The week's news was dominated by the launch of Apple Music and Beats 1 on Tuesday, but other developments percolated under the surface -- including Apple losing its last appeal of a long-fought e-book antitrust case.

An update to Apple's dwindling iPod lineup is indeed in the works, Apple's own iTunes software appears to indicate, thanks to graphics showing gold versions of the iPod touch, nano and shuffle, along with new shades of blue and pink.

Though the iPod lineup has not seen any significant changes since late 2012, Apple will revisit its media players this year with an anticipated update to at least one model, a source has told AppleInsider.

Georgian chess champion Gaioz Nigalidze has been accused of using Apple's iOS devices to gain a competitive advantage during tournaments, hiding an iPod touch -- which was used to analyze the game being played -- in the bathroom during at least one such event.

The latest series of leaked parts show a number of components claimed to be for a future "iPhone 6," including more evidence of an embedded rear logo, along with an assortment of internal cables, and what could be a closer look at the ring that will cover the device's rear camera lens.

Consumers throughout Europe, Asia, and South America can now get their hands on Apple's revamped 16-gigabyte iPod touch, as the colorful media player has launched in a number of new countries just five days after its debut in the U.S.

Apple's refresh of the 16-gigabyte iPod touch this week brings the newly price $199 media player in line with its larger-capacity brethren, including the same internal design and an identical rear facing iSight camera, a teardown of the device has revealed.

Apple's entry-level 16-gigabyte iPod touch received an update on Thursday, dropping the price to $199 while adding a rear iSight camera and expanding its color options to six. Apple also slashed prices on the 32- and 64-gigabyte variants, now priced respectively at $249 and $299.